House-door letter-box



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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOSEA W. LIBBEY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

HOUSE-DOOR LETTER-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 502,673, dated August 1, 18.93.

Application tiled April 13,1891. Serial No. 388,698. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, HOSEA W. LIBBEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Letter-Boxes, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

The object of my invention is to produce a letter box that will be of small cost, neat in appearance, simple in operation, protect its contents from the weather, be secure againstremoval of letters by thieves, have a cover that can be easily operated by one hand, and having a receptacle for papers and also both a delivery and collection receptacle, and also disclose the presence of mail without being opened.

The invention consists in certain details of construction as hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings Figure lrepresents a view of a letter box embodying my invention, as it appears on the outside of a door when there is mail to be collected. Fig. 2- is a similar view of the rear of the box. Fig. 3- isalongitudinal section of the box taken on line w, of Fig. 2. Fig. 4.- is a transverse section taken on line y, y, of Fig. 3. Fig. 5- is a plan view of the upper compartment the top being removed. Fig. 6- is alongitudinal section through the box showing the collection receptacle drawn out. Fig. 7 is a detail view showing the double flaps for protecting the contents of the box; and Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of theloox and the entrance into the collection receptacle.

The box is of rectangular form and is divided into three compartments, a lower one in v which the letters are deposited by the postman, a central one to receive newspapers, and an upper one in which letters for collection are placed.

A, represents the lower compartment for the reception of letters, B, the central compartment for the reception of newspapers, and C, the upper compartment in which letters for collection are placed.

When applied to a door as shown in the drawings, the lower compartment A, is of less length than the upper compartment, the difference being the thickness of the door, but when applied to places other than a door the front of all the compartments would be on a line with each other. The fronts of the lower and central compartments are closed bya flap or door D, provided on its rear with lugs d, through which a rod c, passes upon which it turns, a grasshopper spring b, keeping the flap D, in its normal closed position. The lower portion of the flap D, is pressed in when depositing mail which at the same time gives access to the central compartment so that newspapers may be placed therein. After the letters have been inserted they pass down the sloping guide plate E, which projects a short distance beyond the front wall of the lower receptacle A, and is on its inner edge serrated or formed with teeth e, (see Fig. 7.) F,is a flap hung loosely at its upper end and having serrations or teeth f, corresponding to and itting between the teeth c, on the plate E, as will be best seen in Fig. 7, so that when a letter is inserted it forces the flap F, open, and

falls into the receptacle A, and should any person attempt to abstract said letter by any vinstrumentit would be retained by the teeth on the plate E, and flap F. The compartment A, is fitted with a drawer G, having a bottom H, pivoted thereto at h, so that when the vdrawer is pulled out the bottom will tip and allow the contents to fall out. When the flap D, is operated it comes into contact with a push bar I, free to slide in suitable bearings z', i', and'it is provided with a collar g, a spiral spring j being interposed between the bearings 72, and the collar g, to keep the bar in its normal position. When this bar I, is pushed back it comes in contact with a bell crank lever L, carrying a hammer n, said lever being fulcrumed at Z, so that when the flaps D, is released the hamm er fn, will be caused to strike the gong N, by the-spring m, acting upon the long arm of the bell crank L.

The central compartment B, isat its rear end formed with an opening through which the papers may be removed, but when used as an outside box this opening would have to IOO mail for collection is fitted with a flap P, thatV closes against a small projection or anglet formed on a serrated plate E'. The outer portion of the plate is inclined downwardly and the outer surface of the tlap P is provided with an outwardly projecting lip il, which, when the flap is closed, projects over the ridge or angle t on the plate E' and causes water to drop on the outer inclined portion ot' the plate and run oit instead of following the outer surface of the iiap in past the ridge or angle against which the flap closes and thence Clown into the box as it would do were it not for the lip projecting outwardly over the ridge or angle. A serrated flap F', is arranged at the rear of the iiap P, and is similar to that described with reference to the bottom compartment, and said compartment` also provided with a draw G', having a bottom H', pivoted at 7L', so that when the draw is pulled out, the bottoinwill fall and allow the mail matter to drop out as shown in Fig. 5. This draweris supported on each side by runners 7i (see Fig. 4). To the rear of the front part of the drawer is secured a casing J, in which is pivotally secured a plate K, bearing the word Mail, or other suitable sign. An arm 7c, extends out beyond the casing J, and is bent to the form shown (see Fig. 5), and it is provided with a small collar p, and a small spiral spring q, is interposed between the collar and the side of the casing J, so as to keep the plate bearing the sign drawn to one side. Attached to one side of the drawer is a small block 7*, which supports the outer end of the arm 7c, when in its normal position. The plate K, is shown raised in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, and lowered in Figs. l and 6. M, is a lever fulcrumed at or about its center at m, to the top of the box and its rear end is kept extended by a spring N, secured to the side of the box, and bearing against a pin n,on the lever (or it might bear against the side of the lever M). The forward end of this lever stands just behind the end of the arm k, and its rear end just above a cam piece s, secured to the flap F', so that when the flap F', is raised, the lever M, will be operated so as to push the arm 7.5, off the block r, when it will fall by its own weight and indicate that mail matter is in the box to be collected.

The draw G', can be secured by any kind of lock that may be desired and is preferably so constructed that as soon as it has been unlocked it is forced out by a spring. In the drawings I have shown a iiat spring V, attached to the rear of the box, and in Fig. 5 I have shown in dotted lines the position the spring would occupy when the drawer is thrown out.

The operation is as followsz--To insert a letter the lower end of the iiap D, is pressed in and the letter inserted through the opening, the letter passing over the plate E, and under the flap F, which immediately falls again by :its own weight, thus preventing the letter from being abstracted by reason of the out, and the bottom being fulcrumed as described, tips, and the mail matter drops out. This draw may it required be secured by a lock of the description above given, or any other kind ot lock; may be used as may be desired. To remove the papers, the handV has simply to be passed through the opening and lift them ont. Vhen desired to insert letters for collection, they are inserted into the upper compartment, and as the flaps are pressed back, the cams s, on the flap F', comes into contact with the end of the lever M, thus pressing it toward the side of the box, and throwing the other end ont which dislodges the arm 7c, from the cam block fr, and the plate 7c, bearing the sign falls, thus indicating that there is mail to be collected. To collect the mail, the postman inserts his key and unlocks the drawer at the same time holding his bag beneath the same, and the moment the drawer is thus released, the spring V, forces it out and the bottom tipping, guides the letters into the bag. He then pushes the drawer in, and as the bottom is raised, the cam block r, comes into contact with the arm la, and raises it thereby raising the indicating sign. I-Ie then turns the key and the box is secure.

If desired, the upper or collection compartment may be dispensed with, and the indicating plate may be made to slide instead of turn, as above described.

Vhat I claim as my invention is l. A letter box having three compartments arranged one above the other, each provided with two openings and one ot' said compartments being provided with a movable receptacle, and the other two compartments being provided with a common door for one of the openings in each of said boxes, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination with a letter box of the character described, the front end of which is provided with an indicator to show the presence ot mail within the box, of a drawer to receive the letters deposited in the box, said drawer consisting of a rectangular frame having the bottom pivoted thereto so that when the drawer is pulled out the bottom will tip and deliver the contents, the front end of said drawer being provided with means for en gaging with the indicator, substantially as set forth. t

3. A letter boxl having two compartments, one to receive letters and one to receive newspapers, the entrance to both compartments being closed by a flap or door fulcrumed at ICO the junction of the two compartments, so that when pressed in to open one compartment, the other portion will be forced out and open the other compartment substantially vas set forth.

4. In combinationwith a letter box having a compartment to receive mail matter for collection and an indicator compartment at one end, a ilap pivotally secured within said indicator compartment having the word mail or other sign thereon, a bent arm projecting into the mail compartment provided with a collar, a spring upon vthe arm, one end of which bears against the casing of the indicator compartment, and the other end bears against the collar for forcingthe arm and flap laterally, a support for the arm, and means for removing the support from under the arm when mail is inserted into the box, substantially as set forth.

5. In combination with aletter box having a compartment to receive mail matter for collection, a drawer G', having an opening at its front end, a casing J, around said opening, and a iap K, bearinga suitable sign, and having an extended arm lo, that is raised by a block a", and lowered by a flap F', through a lever M, when letters are inserted into the compartment substantially as set forth.

6. In a letter box theinwardlyinclined Hap P, hung at its upper end, and its lower end provided with an outwardly projecting lip to it over a ridge upon the plate against which it rests to protect the box from rain, snow or dust, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing-witnesses, on this 24th day of `Ianuary, A. D. 1891.

HOSEA W. LIBBEY.

Witnesses:

CEAS. STEERE, EDWIN PLANTA. 

